RISE: US aims to defeat ISIS, remove Assad; 44 dead in Egypt

H.R. McMaster talked of the two American goals; attack on churches on Palm Sunday; Sergio gats his major; and more headlines for your Monday, April 10, 2017.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's national security adviser on Sunday left open the possibility of additional U.S. military action against Syria following last week's missile strike but indicated that the United States was not seeking to act unilaterally to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.

In his first televised interview, H.R. McMaster pointed to dual U.S. goals of defeating the Islamic State group and removing Assad. But he suggested that Trump was seeking a global political response for regime change from U.S. allies as well as Russia, which he said needed to re-evaluate its support of Syria.

"It's very difficult to understand how a political solution could result from the continuation of the Assad regime," McMaster said. "Now, we are not saying that we are the ones who are going to effect that change. What we are saying is, other countries have to ask themselves some hard questions. Russia should ask themselves ...Why are we supporting this murderous regime that is committing mass murder of its own population?"

SUICIDE BOMBERS KILL 44 IN EGYPT

TANTA, Egypt — Suicide bombers struck hours apart at two Coptic churches in northern Egypt, killing 44 people and turning Palm Sunday services into scenes of horror and outrage at the government that led the president to call for a three-month state of emergency.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the violence, adding to fears that extremists are shifting their focus to civilians, especially Egypt's Christian minority.

HAWAII LGBT COUPLES FIGHT FOR ACCESS TO FERTILITY TREATMENTS

HONOLULU — Sean Smith and his husband paid more than $20,000 for a fertility procedure when they decided to have a child using a surrogate mother. They did not know at the time that if they were a heterosexual couple, they might have saved that money.

Now, Smith and other members of Hawaii's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are lobbying for equal access to the financial help married, heterosexual couples enjoy under state law.

They are pushing legislation that would require insurance companies to cover in vitro fertilization for more couples, including making Hawaii the first state to require the coverage for surrogates, which would help male same-sex couples who must use a surrogate.

MASTERS GOES TO GARCIA

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Sergio Garcia finally won his first major — in his 71st try as a professional.

The 37-year-old Spaniard always had an alibi handy, and when a hooked tee shot at the 13th put him two back of Justin Rose, he had another handy excuse to fold up.

Instead, Garcia fought back and extended his long-running duel with Rose to the first playoff hole, where he calmly sank a 12-footer for birdie and moments later, slipped on the green jacket.